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15 Charities That Offer Free Donation Pickup
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Donating to charity is a wonderful way to chuck out things you no longer want or need, especially when moving. You can use your move as an opportunity to get rid of all the things that don’t add any value to your life instead of just carrying them with you to your new house. It not only allows you to free up some space at your new home but also helps you make a difference both in your community and around the world.
But there’s one small problem. When preparing for a move, you’ve already got so much on your plate that packing things and taking them to a charity seems like a hassle. This is where using charities that offer free donation pickup can help you save time.
Where do you find such charities? Here is a list of 15 charities that offer free donation pickups from your home. We have also shared a few donation tips to make your life easier.
1. The Salvation Army
Established in 1865, The Salvation Army is a worldwide church and registered charity in 131 countries that offer unconditional friendship and practical help to individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and needs. The items you donate are either taken directly to those who need them or sold at a Salvation Army store.
The organization assists people in need across a wide range of spectrums, including the homeless, victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, vulnerable youth, the elderly, and victims of natural disasters. It also reunites hundreds of families each year with its Family Tracing Service.
The Salvation Army accepts numerous forms of donations, including financial contributions, books, household goods, vehicles, toys, furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances, and clothing. It also offers free pickup of donations of furniture and household items. It’s a convenient service for many individuals who can’t drive or are unable to deliver large items to their local Salvation Army. However, keep in mind that bookings are typically secured 3-4 weeks in advance.
Whatever items you donate, they must be in working condition, clean, and ready to use. They must also comply with current safety standards. As pickup services cost the organization money, it is best to have the goods in the best possible condition. You can enter your ZIP code on their website to find pickup services and drop-off locations in your area.
2. Goodwill
Goodwill is an American nonprofit organization that offers job training, employment placement services, and other community-based programs for individuals who have barriers to employment. This includes youth, the elderly, people with disabilities, people with limited work history, those who have faced corporate downsizing, and people trying to reclaim their lives after a prison sentence.
Founded in 1902, Goodwill has over 4,200 stores in the US and Canada. All goods donated to the organization are taken to a neighboring Goodwill store and sold at a discounted price to the needy. The funds raised are used to support many initiatives, including job training and placement programs.
Most Goodwills offer pickup for furniture or other large goods that are difficult to transport. It’s best to contact your local Goodwill to find out how you can have them picked up.
3. AMVETS National Service Foundation
The AMVETS National Service Foundation is a 501(c)3 veterans charity that has been serving US veterans since 1948. It provides veterans, their families, and survivors with exceptional counsel and representation before the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Operating in 22 states, AMVETS National Service Foundation has physical stores and donation pickups all across the country. Your donations help the organization arrange community outreach programs and job training courses. Their thrift stores offer the general public domestic goods and clothing at discounted prices. The proceeds from their store sales allow them to provide programs that benefit the veterans.
The organization typically accepts a wide range of items including small furniture and appliances, clothing, toys, books, electronic appliances, bedding, bicycles, and more. You can schedule a donation pickup by contacting your local AMVETS thrift store.
4. Habitat for Humanity
Established in 1976, Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that provides affordable accommodation to the needy all across the globe. Today, the organization is working in over 1,300 communities across the US and in over 70 countries around the world.
Along with new construction, Habitat for Humanity also renovates existing houses in many communities, especially in urban areas. It even helps people repair and improve their own homes and neighborhoods.
Habitat for Humanity mainly depends on monetary donations to fund its work. However, they also have local home improvement stores called Habitat ReStores. These stores sell recyclable and surplus building materials, domestic items, furniture, and electronic appliances to the public at a fraction of the retail price. Your donated items are sold at these thrift stores located throughout the US and the proceeds are used to support the organization’s initiatives.
Most Habitat ReStores offer free pickup of furniture donations, as well as other large items such as appliances, building materials, and more. If you are looking to schedule a pickup, visit their website and enter your zip code to find the store nearest you.
5. The Arc
The Arc offers support to people with mental disabilities. They encompass all ages and over 100 different diagnoses including autism, Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, and many other developmental disabilities.
Founded in 1950, the nonprofit organization boasts more than 600 state and local chapters throughout the country. Your donations are sold at their thrift stores and all funds generated are used to support their work.
You can donate a wide range of things at these thrift stores, including furniture, games, housewares, toys, clothing, books, shoes, appliances, used vehicles, and more. Many of their local chapters accept donations of physical items. If you would like to donate goods such as clothing, furniture, etc., or you want to schedule a free pickup, you need to contact the local chapter in your area to see if they accept physical items.
6. Pick Up Please
Pick Up Please is a program that helps support Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), an organization established in January 1978. It’s a respected charity that offers assistance to all of America’s veterans, not just those of a particular age group or war. By donating used clothes, shoes, small appliances, and other domestic goods, you help generate funds to look after the soldiers and servicemen who help protect the country from harm.
You can donate a wide range of items including clothing, shoes, purses, books, exercise equipment, household items, small home furnishings, electronics, toys, and more. For most locations, it’s possible to schedule a pickup with just 24 hours of notice, which is convenient if you are moving on a tight timeline.
Bear in mind that they only accept items that are small and light enough for one person to easily lift and carry. They do not accept large furniture like couches and mattresses or large appliances like refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, etc. They also do not accept TVs of any kind.
To schedule a free pickup, visit their website and enter your zip code to see if they offer services in your area.
7. ClothingDonations.org
ClothingDonations.org is another service of Vietnam Veterans of America. They will pick up your used clothes and household items at your convenience and use them to support initiatives that address the concerns and necessities of all veterans.
All donations are sold to thrift stores and the money generated from the sale of the items is used to fund their programs. VVA also sponsors a program that offers vouchers to veterans in need of household goods and apparel that can be used at the thrift stores they contract with.
Some of the items they accept for donation are clothing, shoes, baby items, bikes, toys, small appliances, jewelry, cosmetics, curtains, bedding, small furniture, rugs, potable TVs, tools, kitchenware, electronics, and more. However, they don’t accept large furniture because most VVA contracting thrift stores do not sell large items.
To schedule a free pickup, either call 888-518-VETS or schedule online on their website. When making a pickup request, you may specify where the donated goods will be left. The organization is unable to enter apartments, houses, or garages, so all donations must be left in an area that is easily accessible.
8. Furniture Bank Network
If you are specifically looking to donate furniture, Furniture Bank Network might be the right option for you. The organization operates in 34 states and typically accepts furniture of all kinds, electronics, small appliances, and housewares.
The Furniture Bank Network is basically a collection of furniture banks from across North America. These furniture banks are registered charities, nonprofit organizations, or social enterprises designed to provide lightly used household furnishings to needy people and families, at discounted rates or absolutely free.
All donations are given to people in need who can’t afford to furnish their houses. These include unemployed and working poor, previously homeless people, women and children escaping domestic violence, immigrants, people with intellectual or physical disabilities, those affected by natural disasters, and others. You can rest easy knowing that your unwanted furniture is being used by someone in need who can’t afford furniture rather than decaying in a landfill where it is of no use to anyone.
Instead of simply handing over a pre-selected list of furniture pieces, many furniture banks allow recipients to choose their own furniture. These furniture banks operate a showroom, inviting people to browse the furniture on offer and select pieces that suit their style and tastes.
To schedule a pickup, visit their website to search for participating organizations that offer free pickups.
9. PickUpMyDonation.com
PickUpMyDonation.com is an online donation request platform working since 2012. It especially focuses on large item donations that can’t be easily donated without a truck. The network is comprised of thousands of nonprofits and junk haulers, like College Hunks Hauling Junk.
The platform supports independent nonprofit thrift stores in your community with securing goods they may need for their own work or for organizations they’re serving. It basically serves as the connection point between donors and pickup providers. You can submit a donation request in less than 90 seconds, right from your phone, computer, or tablet.
To schedule a free pickup, visit their website and enter your zip code. Mention what items you would like to donate and also provide potential pickup dates/times that would work for you. Once you submit your request, your nearest thrift store will contact you to schedule a pickup.
10. GreenDrop
GreenDrop is a charitable organization based in Philadelphia, PA that offers quick and efficient donation pickup and drop-off services. They assist charitable programs for the American Red Cross, the National Federation of the Blind, Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island Donation Center, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Philadelphia. When making a donation through GreenDrop, you can decide which program your donation benefits.
The organization typically accepts clothes and shoes (both new and lightly used), games, toys, tools, books, small electronics, kitchenware, small furniture, sporting goods, instruments, and more. All donations are sold to 2nd Ave Thrift Superstores™, an affiliate company, as well as other thrift operators.
Another free service that Greendop offers is house clean-outs, where members of their concierge service visit your place and help you get rid of large quantities of items. This service is available to families that are facing life events such as preparing for a move, a death in the family, transitions to assisted living facilities, downsizing, and more.
You can schedule a free pickup by visiting GreenDrop’s website and entering your ZIP code and contact information. Don’t forget to pack your donations in plastic trash bags or sealed boxes and label them with the charity name.
11. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to guide and help children with taking charge of their futures and realizing their full potential with community-based mentoring, school-based mentoring, and more. The organization matches adult volunteers with children from age five to young adulthood.
BBBSA typically accepts clothing, books, jewelry, domestic items, small toys, DVDs, exercise equipment, small musical instruments, collectibles, and kitchenware. They do not accept furniture of any kind (including cribs, playpens, and mattresses), encyclopedias, magazines, pianos, medical items, oversized toys, lamps, suitcases, or anything that is sharp, broken, or heavily damaged. All donations are sold to generate money that supports the work of Big Brother Big Sister mentoring agencies.
Head over to their website to schedule a free pickup. Remember, if you are leaving your goods at the doorway, mark each package with “BBBS”. Their drivers will take only those items marked as such.
12. Patriots and Paws
Patriots and Paws is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide home furnishings including furniture, kitchenware, rugs, antiques, tables, and more to military veterans, active military, and those reservists who move into new dwellings and can’t afford these basic necessities.
The organization accepts most items you use to furnish a home including kitchen appliances, refrigerators, countertop microwaves, washers, dryers, gas ranges, clean mattresses and box springs, furniture, rugs, and houseware. However, they do not accept clothes, baby items, books, exercise equipment, garden/lawn tools, desks, lighting fixtures, medical equipment, sporting goods, and musical instruments.
Patriots and Paws are located in Orange County, California. They schedule pickups 3 days a week in Orange County and parts of Long Beach and Lakewood (between 605 Fwy/Bellflower). To schedule a pickup, you can either call them at 1-714-323-7229, email them at [email protected], or complete an online form on their website.
13. Out of The Closet Thrift Stores
Out of the Closet Thrift Stores (OTC) was established in 1990 to help raise funds and awareness for AIDS Healthcare Foundation. For each donation, 96 cents of every dollar made goes to AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s HIV prevention and treatment services. Your donations also allow OTC to offer high-quality HIV testing services at all of their locations.
Items they typically accept include furniture, kitchenware, home decor, appliances, electronics, tools, musical instruments, men’s and women’s clothing, shoes (teen and adult sizes only), books, film and TV memorabilia, CDs, and artwork. Currently, they don’t accept mattresses, water beds, bedding, linens, towels, medical supplies, built-in appliances, children’s toys and books, TV sets and appliances that are over three years old, children’s clothing and accessories (such as car seats, cribs, high chairs, etc.), automobiles, office furniture, printers, scanners, fax machines, and other corporate items.
OTC offers scheduled pickups of your large item donations. Simply make an appointment by filling out an online form, and their drivers will pick up large items from your home.
14. Donation Town
Donation Town is a donation pickup service directory that connects donors with charities all over the US that offer free donation pickup services. They try to include charities of all types and sizes and are also adding new charities regularly.
The charities in their directory accept a wide variety of donations including clothing, furniture, toys, shoes, general household items, antiques, books, and more. However, almost all of their charities do not accept broken, stained, and non-working items, firearms and ammunition (including BB guns, pellet guns, and arrows), magazines, newspapers construction debris, used carpets, paints, fuels or solvents, and mattresses or box springs.
All of the nonprofit charities on Donation Town offer an IRS tax deduction receipt whenever you donate and you are free to donate to the charity of your choice. To schedule your donation pickup, simply enter your zip code here and choose from charities in your local area that will pick up your donations.
15. Easy Donation Pickup
Operated by the National Veterans Foundation (NVF), Easy Donation Pickup provides support to veterans of the US armed forces and their families. It offers assistance with a veteran-to-veteran counseling line, advocacy, and assistance with everyday essentials like clothing, food, and transportation.
All donations are either sent to the veterans who need assistance or are sold to raise funds. The organization accepts almost anything as long as one person can carry it. Some items that you can donate to this charity include shoes, clothing, luggage, backpacks, purses, toiletries, jewelry, household items, sports equipment, toys, small kitchen appliances, books, electronics, tools, and small furniture.
To schedule a pickup, you can either call them at 855-628-8387 or schedule online. You don’t even need to be home for the pickup. Just leave your packaged items on the porch. Their drivers will arrive on the scheduled date and leave your tax receipt on your door.
Donation pickups: Quick tips & ideas
- All donations must be in good condition, meaning they should be clean, usable, and free of serious defects. Make sure you only donate items that other people can use.
- Every charity has a different way of making an impact. So make sure that you browse each organization’s website to ensure their mission and methods align with your values.
- Safely package all goods for transportation. However, it’s best to leave furniture uncovered so that it can be inspected.
- Schedule your donation pickup much ahead of the date of your move. The organization might not have anyone available to assist at the last minute, so you could end up having to make alternate plans.
- Contact the organization to make sure they still offer a free donation pickup service (as some charities had stopped their free pickup during COVID-19 or because of the employee or funding shortage).
- Make sure the organization accepts the goods you are giving away. Many charities list acceptable and non-acceptable items on their websites.
- Take advantage of your tax deductions whenever you can. These charities make it easy to do so by giving you a tax receipt for your donations.
Donate before you move
Giving away unwanted items before moving to a new place is a great way to reduce your load while helping your community at the same time. But before you schedule a donation pickup from one of the charities on this list, make sure to keep the tips shared above in mind. Many charities are understaffed and you want to ensure that the pickup process is simplified for them as well as convenient for you.
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